Anne with an E actor Cory Gruter-Andrew shares his audition process and advice to child actors

Since then, Cory has appeared in hit TV series Fargo, The 100 and Legends of Tomorrow as well as feature films This is Your Death and Beyond the Sun before bagging the role of Cole in Netflix show Anne with an E. Here's Cory's story so far, in his own words, including what a day on set is like, how he prepares for auditions and advice to fellow child actors.

When did you first realise you wanted to become an actor?
I first realised I wanted to be an actor after my first day on set, experiencing the environment, the process of getting there, and meeting all the people along the way. It's the environment I want to surround myself in for the rest of my life.

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How did you get involved with Anne with an E and can you tell us a little bit about your character in the show?
Getting involved was simply through the audition process, and Cole is a soft kid with a good heart who has a true love for art and wants to pursue it with everything he’s got.

What was the audition process like and how do you normally prepare for auditions?
Well, my agent sent me a script, which I processed and put on tape. They then asked me to redo it with some notes attached. A week later I got a Skype call from Moira, taped it a third time, was flown to Toronto for a chemistry read/film test with Amybeth, and the rest is history. Usually to prep for an audition, I read the script, process every bit of information that I can, memorise it, close my eyes, and play out the scene in the first person of my character.

What is a day on set like?
Well, you wake up early, have a little breakfast from the food truck, get changed into wardrobe and then it's off to either school or set, depending on the order we’re shooting the scenes that day. Then obviously there’s blocking and rehearsing every scene before we shoot. We get through about four to eight scenes every day. It can be long days but, if you love what you’re doing, it flies by.

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What are you working on next? do you have any dream roles you would like to play?
I'm not working as of right now – just chilling and catching up on school – but auditions are coming through and those are always fun. A dream role, specifically, is hard to pin down. I'd love to work on a post-apocalyptic project. Something like The Hunger Games or Maze Runner would be really fun.

What advice do you have for other young people wanting to follow in your footsteps, to become an actor?
If you love it, pursue it with everything you have. If you don’t, find something you do love and pursue that. Simple.

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